UN Secretary General calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to seek peaceful resolution of Karabakh conflict

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, according to the UN statement.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, according to the UN statement.

“[The Secretary General] confirms the UN's support for the mediation efforts of the co-chairs, and also calls on the parties [of the conflict] to take steps to build confidence and show political will to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the statement said.

The meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the margins of the 73rd session on the UN General Assembly was held in New-York.

Such contact was characterized as important in revitalizing negotiation process on the NagornoKarabakh conflict by foreign experts and international institutions.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan’s territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.